The Science Behind Startup Jungle

A four-dimensional business modelling method based on academic research.

A tabletop diorama depicting a green landscape with toy animals including an elephant, cows, and birds, with several people interacting around it.

Academic Background

Startup Jungle is a four-dimensional business modelling tool developed and studied within academic research in entrepreneurship and innovation.

The method has been used in Master’s level education at the University of Gothenburg and published in the Journal of Business Models.

Citation:

Rumble, R. (2019). The Startup Jungle: Four-dimensional Business Modelling.Journal of Business Models, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 25–36.

Moore’s chasm model showing a bell curve of technology adoption stages: Innovators, Early adopters, a Chasm, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards over time.

Why Flat Tools Fall Short

Traditional business modelling tools — such as slides, canvases, and digital boards — are typically two-dimensional.

While they are easy to use and share, research shows they struggle to:
-Represent complex interdependencies
-Capture execution instead of ideal outcomes
-Model change over time
-Support scenario planning in a natural way

Startup Jungle addresses these limitations by moving beyond flat representations.

Tabletop diorama with pink dinosaur figurines, green trees, a blue winding river, and a volcano model with toy figures and small structures.

Four Dimensions: Space + Time

Startup Jungle introduces time as a fourth dimension.

Instead of creating multiple versions of a business model, teams physically reposition elements to explore:
-Consequences of decisions
-Stakeholder reactions
-Path dependency over time
-Multiple future scenarios

This dynamic “interplay” shifts the focus from describing a business to understanding how it evolves.

Visual Management & Embodied Cognition

The method builds on principles from:
-Visual Management
-Embodied Cognition
-Serious Games

‍By using physical space, movement, and tangible objects, teams:
-Understand complex systems faster
-Align through shared visual language
-Engage more deeply than with verbal discussion alone

Research shows that learning and decision-making improve when multiple senses are involved.

The Jungle Metaphor

The jungle landscape is not decorative — it is theoretically embedded.

It represents:
-Business ecosystems
-Customer adoption over time
-Internal vs external actors
-Resources, constraints, and collaboration

Animals act as metaphors for stakeholders, enabling teams to discuss complex strategies using a shared, intuitive language.

Brightly colored plastic figures of a red gorilla, pink lion, pink donkey, and an orange rabbit lying on its back on a wooden surface next to a metallic hexagonal object.

Proven in Practice

In academic settings, Startup Jungle has shown:
-Higher perceived usefulness than traditional tools
-Strong engagement and participation
-Improved sensemaking and strategic clarity

Students rated the tool 4.4 out of 5, with no negative ratings.

The method is now also used in corporate strategy and innovation sessions.

Group of eleven people smiling around a large table with a colorful model landscape featuring toy animals and flags.